A Philippines court judge found a U.S. marine guilty of killing a transgender woman in Philippines on Tuesday, according to CNN. Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton was convicted in connection with the death of Jennifer Laude in an Olangapo city hotel room last year, where she was found dead with her head submerged inside a toilet bowl.
On Oct. 11, 2014, Pemberton and Laude met at a bar and checked into the hotel room later, where Laude was strangled and drowned by Pemberton after he found out she was transgender, according to CBS News.
Pemberton was handed down a a prison sentence of six to 12 years and has been ordered to pay nearly $95,000 to Laude's family.
He was initially charged with murder, but was found guilty of the lesser homicide charge, which does not include intention to kill. Pemberton has the right to appeal the verdict and the sentence.
The victim's mother Marilou was disappointed with the court's decision. "I'm not contented with the imprisonment of 6 to 12 years. But what's important is he will be sent to jail," she said in the local language.
Laude's killing strained relations between the United States and the Philippines, where the Americans have a large military presence. The case sparked outrage among the left-wing groups and nationalists, who called for an end to the U.S. military presence in the county.
DOJ statement on Pemberton's conviction | @anjocalimario pic.twitter.com/tTnOmkDFIm
— CNN Philippines (@cnnphilippines) December 1, 2015
